Do You Need To Call An Electrician? 3 Signs That Point To Yes

If the electricity in your home stops working or you wish to install a new high voltage appliance, the need to call an electrician will be pretty obvious. However, many issues with your electrical system may go unnoticed or their seriousness may be underestimated. In this article, you will learn more about three common warning signs that it is in fact time for you to call an electrical contractor to either repair or upgrade your home's electrical system.

#1: Your Lights Get Dim When You Turn On An Appliance

Have you noticed that your lights get dimmer when you use appliances such as your microwave or an air conditioner? If so, this is actually a sign that your home's electrical system does not have enough power to meet your current electrical needs. While dealing with dimming lights for a few minutes while you use the microwave may not seem like a big deal, continuing to use an electrical system that does not offer enough voltage for your needs can eventually cause far more serious problems such as power surges. That is why you should always contact an electrician if you notice this warning sign. 

#2: You Use Extension Cords To Make Up For A Lack Of Outlets

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using an extension cord in order to temporarily supply power to an area of your home that lacks outlets or in order to allow you to place items slightly further away from an outlet than their standard cord will allow. However, if you are using extension cords in order to plug more items into a single outlet because your home is not equipped with enough outlets for your needs, this can be a serious problem. This is because each of your home's outlets is only designed to carry a certain amount of voltage. If you are plugging in more items to a single outlet through the use of an extension cord, this could increase your risk of an electrical fire. That is why rather than continuing to rely on extension cords, you really should contact an electrician to have more grounded outlets installed in your home. 

#3: You Need To Frequently Reset Your Circuit Breakers

It is quite common for circuit breakers to trip from time to time in order to prevent a power surge. In fact, this is the entire reason that residential electrical systems make use of circuit breakers. However, this does not mean that you should be making frequent trips to your fuse box. If your circuit breaker trips on a regular basis, this is a good indication that your electrical system requires an upgrade.

For more information, contact an electrician near you.